No One Else Sees
by Angela M
Summary: Tag to Quarantine - Rodney Collapses in the Mess Hall, seems he was sick after all.


Note: Quarantine Tag

Spoiler for Quarantine and the Road Not Taken (SG1)

No One Else Sees

SGA SGA SGA

"Great work Radek, everyone on this base owes you a debt of gratitude." Colonel Carter smiled and looked down at Zelenka.

"McKay would love this," Sheppard said, and everyone at the table to laughed, "and speak of the devil."

The tabled looked up to see McKay walk in frowning perusal, no one thought that this was terribly surprising but Sheppard knew that something was bothering him, well more then usual that is.

"McKay?" Sheppard called out.

McKay sighed deeply, and walked over looking deflated. The others must have seen his expression because the taunt on Ronon's lips quickly disappeared.

Concerned flared in Sheppard, as he looked at a slightly broken scientist before him. "Rodney, you ok?"

He opened his mouth but before he could say anything his expressing changed from dejected to panic and pain. McKay was suddenly on his knees bending over grabbing his stomach, and breathing in quick shallow breaths.

Dr. Keller was out of her seat in an instant.

"I thought you said he was ok!"

Keller's head snapped up at Sheppard's sharp tone. "He was."

"Sheppard?" Rodney said weakly, looking up. Blood was running from his eyes and the way he was looking around but not focusing, Keller would have guessed that he had just lost his vision. "Where? I .. I can't see you."

"Medical emergency to the Mess Hall." Keller called into her mic, and forced McKay to the floor. "Hold on Dr. McKay, we're getting you help."

"Oh god, there's something! John, there's something I can feel it." McKay cried out in panic while he wildly grabbed at the air trying to find Sheppard. He obliged and kneeled next to Rodney and allowed the scientist to grip his hand.

"What do you feel McKay?" Keller asked, forcing Rodney to look at her while she looked into this eyes and tried to ascertain the cause of the bleeding.

"Oh my god, Rodney!" a soft voice called out.

John looked up to see Katie Brown come in, and run over to McKay's other side but trying not to get into Dr. Keller's way. She wasn't wearing the ring he noticed.

"I can't, why can't I hear you?" His look of panic vanished as he squeezed both his eyes and John's hand in pain. When what ever it was passed, he looked in Sheppard's general direction, and tried to fight through the panic.

"You have to take care of her."

"Rodney." McKay obviously still not hearing Sheppard, continued.

"I love her, and and.." He took a moment, breathing rapidly again.

Katie's heart felt as if it stopped, and she realized that in the two years they had been together he had never said 'I love you'.

"She's far to good .. ," Rodney's ego left him. "Girls like her don't go for guys like me, but she.." He trailed off for a moment.

"But you take care of her." He came back with extra conviction. "I wanted her to marry, oh god something isn't right."

Rodney gripped John's hand tighter and arched his back off the floor as if trying to escape from some unseen pain. When he fell back to the floor he was breathing even quicker.

"Damn it, where's that med team!" Sheppard shouted at Keller, who went back on the mic trying to get a location update.

Sheppard looked back at Rodney whose eyes were screwed in pain, then to Katie who had tears running down her face as she rubbed his leg trying to let Rodney know she was there.

"John." Rodney started to speak again, "you watch over her, make sure she's hap.."

He stopped breathing. Keller pushed everyone away as she started CPR, the med team finally showed up. Sheppard took a step back, bring Katie with him. Fear gripping her face, as she gripped his shirt.

"He told me he was fine." Katie whispered as she watched Keller crawl onto of gurney with Rodney so she continued to try to help him breath.

SGA SGA SGA

Colonel Carter walked into the infirmary several hours later to see Katie asleep and holding Rodney's hand. Just off to the side leaning against the wall was Sheppard, watching over them.

"How is he?"

"Seems like there was an unknown contagion after all. Keller pulled a foot long worm-like parasite from his lower intestinal track." At the look she was giving, Sheppard spared a small smile. "Don't worry, I don't think it had visions of galactic domination."

"But it didn't trigger the quarantine?"

"Zelenka says no. It was the ionization of the atmosphere it's just coincidence that this happened today."

"You know, every time I see them it still surprises me. I mean she's not what I would picture as his type." Not dumb and blonde she thought to herself.

"I know. Have you ever seen them together?"

"Not really."

"They don't tend to hang with other people when they're together, but he treats her with a, well respect he doesn't show anyone else."

"You mean he doesn't snark and belittle her?"

Sheppard smirked, "She says said there's a side of him that no one else sees."

"You know, I've been told that before."

John looked at her a little quizically. "Really, by who?"

"Lorne actually."

"Major Lorne? I wasn't under the impression he was a big McKay fan."

"He's not, well I don't know about this Lorne, but more then a year ago I was thrown into an alternate universe. Seems we were divorced, McKay and I."

"I take it he doesn't know?" Carter threw Sheppard a look. "Guess you'd like it to stay that way huh?"

"If you would."

Just then they heard a noise coming from Rodney. Katie woke up and smiled at him.

"Hi." She said quietly and stroked his face. She never knew that Colonel's Sheppard and Carter were there, and she didn't hear when they left.

"Hi."

They just stayed there, looking into each others eyes, tenderness from Katie and slight confusion from Rodney. Then she leaned over and kissed him.

"I love you too."


End file.
